Lighted darning ball



Dec. 30, 1952 A. M. CONLlN 2,623,987

LIGHTED D'ARNING BALL Filed Sept. 28, 1950 2 SI-IEETS--Sl-IEET 1 IN V EN TOR. AGNES M. GOA/L 11v Dec. 30, 1952 A. M. CONLIN 2,623,937

LIGHTED DARNING BALL Filed. Sept. 28, 1950 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. 176N515 M. GOA LIN ITTORNE)" Patented Dec. 30, 1952 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE LIGHTED DARNING BALL Agnes M. Conlin, Newark, N. J.

ApplicationSeptember 28, 1950,'Serial No. 187.204

"the ball on a surface it will assume a position wherein the light will automatically be turned oil.

It is another object of the present invention to provide in a darning ball a semi-spherical ball surface on which there are provided a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending grooves in which the end of the needle can extendand be guided toward a central point for the locating of the thread through the stocking or sock being mended.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a lighted darning ball of the automatic light type which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, has a minimum number of parts, durable and compact, of pleasing appearance and effieient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understandingoi the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lighted-darning ball which may be connected to an electric wall receptacle as a source of supply for electric power.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the lighted darning ball employed in a sock and with portions of the sock and of the ball broken away to show the lighted lamp bulb and with illustration made as to the use of the needle over the grooves of the lighted end of the darning ball.

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram of the automatic lighting ball shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the grooved cup-shaped member.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. i;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention employing a small battery and with the ball uprighted to cause the switch parts to be closed upon one another.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lighted ball resting on its side with the switch parts separated from one another to open the light circuit.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form of switch part.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a still further modified form of the automatic switch arrangement.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, H] represents a casing part generally of pear shape and hollow to contain a switch arrangement indicated diagrammatically at II in Fig. 3 and of a type to be later described in connection with the other figures. This part It is provided with a top transparent part l2 having a plurality of radially extending grooves I? over which the pointed end of a needle [4 may travel while extending a thread l5 through a sock [6 in which the ball is placed to effect the darning action.

"Within the parts It and I2 is a lamp bulb I! which will be lighted upon the ball ll making contact with a bottom contact is of concaved shape and a slide contact l9 dropping onto the ball, the ball being a metal conductor. Wires 2! and 22 are connected with a plug 23 which can be placed in any wall receptacle. If the darning ball is laid in a position as shown in Fig. l, the light I! will be extinguished, but if the ball is picked up in an upright position, as shown in Fig. 2, the ball contact l-l will be positioned between the two contacts l8 and 19 so as to establish the circuit through the lamp bulb 11.

As seen in Fig. 4, the needle 14 can be easily pointed upon one of the grooves l3 so that the stitches which are taken will be evenly spaced from one another.

In Figs. 6 and '7, there is shown a battery operated darning ball. A hollow cup-shaped member of insulating material serves as the casing and its upper end is provided with an annular portion 3| which is threaded internally at 32 and externally at 33. A self-contained unit 34 is fitted into the cup-shaped casing member 30 and is secured thereto through the threads 32. This self-contained unit comprises a main body 35 and a depending portion 36 integral therewith and extending into the bottom of the cup-shaped member 30. This main body has a light bulb socket 31 into which may fit a lamp bulb 38. Extending into the body for engagement with the lamp bulb 38 is a spring contact 39 which is engaged by a battery 40 which is held against a spring contact 41. This contact 4| extends through the depending portion 36 and is connected to a contact 42 lying within a space 43 having a rounded bottom wall surface 44 over which the ball 45 may roll, to have contact with the contact terminal 42 when the darning ball is disposed in an upright position.

A sleeve contact 46 is disposed in the upper wall of the opening 43 and slidable therethrough is a shank 4! of a contact 48 adapted to be dropped for engagement with the ball 45. From the sleeve 3 contact 46 there extends a conductor 49 which engages with the socket 37 of the lamp bulb 38. On the external threads 33 is disposed a cupshaped transparent member 50 having the grooves 51 extending thereover, in the manner as above described.

As the darning ball is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 7 and laid on its side, the ball 45 will roll out of contact with the contact element 42 and into the side of the opening 43. The contact element 43 will be lifted in the sleeve 46. Automatically the lamp bulb circuitis broken. The ball being generally of pear shape, it will always rest upon the side of the casing when not in use. Automatically as the darning ball is lifted, the light will be turned on, the ball 45 will drop into the rounded wall part of the opening and a contact will be established with the contact terminal 42, the contact terminal 48 will follow the ball so as to close the circuit.

In Fig. 8, there is showna slightly modified form of the invention wherein an upper contact 53 has a shank 3 that is reduced to receive an insulating sleeve 55 adapted to break also the contact 53 with sleeve 56 as the contact 53 is lifted. The rounded bottom 42 supports the ball 45.

, In Fig. 9, there is shown a difierent shape opening which is square, as indicated at El, and having a side 02 having a contact 33 therein and a side 64 angled ninety degrees therefrom having a contact 65. A corner of the opening 6! depends below the contacts 93 and 65. A ball 66 will bridge the contacts 63 and 65 when the darning ball is held in the upright position. When the darning ball is laid on its side, as shown in Fig.

7, the ball 66 will pass into a corner 61 out of contact with the contact plate 63. The ball might also pass to the other neutral corners of the opening 6|.

It will be seen that the assembly 34 can be removed as a unit from the casing part 30 and the transparent top part 5|.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall beunderstood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lighted darning ball comprising ahollow cup-shaped member having a top annular portion internally and externally threaded, a body member threaded to the top annular portion and having a lamp bulb socket therein, said body member having 2. depending portion, an electric spring contact extending laterally from the lower position, contacts in the Wall adapted to be bridged upon the body being held in an upright position, said wall permitting said ball to recede from the contacts upon being laid in a down position, said contacts in said opening extending respectively to the battery contact and to the lamp bulb socket, a transparent cup-shaped member connected to the annular portion and to the external threads thereof to provide the top working surface of the darning ball, said contacts in the wall comprising a fixed contact, said wall having a rounded bottom receiving said fixed contact, a slidable contact comprising a shank portion, a sleeve contact receiving the shank portion and said shank portion being slidable therethrough said ball upon leaving the rounded wall portion of the opening causing said shank portion of the movable contact to be lifted and the connection of the ball with the fixed contact being broken.

2. A lighted darning ball as defined in claim 1,

and said shank portion having an insulating sleeve thereon whereby to break the connection of the shank with the sleeve contact immediately as the movable contact is lifted.

AGNES M. CONLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 694,562 Macdonald Mar. 4, 1902 1,283,936 Smith Nov. 5, 1918 2,107,570 Hobbs Feb. 8, 1938 2,193,404 Goertzen Mar. 12, 1940 2,323,292 Bloodgood July 6, 1943 

